Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe delivers an emotionally satisfying movie… as long as you do the required homework for it.

It might not be Oscar-caliber cinema, and hardcore fans of the game with encyclopedic knowledge of the game may have a bone to pick, but it’s big and loud and gruesome and not afraid to have fun. The bar for video game movie sequels isn’t very high, but this one not only clears the bar, it twirls it around like a bo staff.

The Devil Wear Prada 2 plays the hits. It’s a glossy, charming, and razor-sharp follow-up to the beloved 2006 original.

The Sheep Detectives is a very sweet, and often quite moving, family comedy about grief and death. I know that sounds weird, but director Kyle Balda and screenwriter Craig Mazin are mostly successful at threading that needle, with the broad humor of some of the human characters being the film’s weakest aspect. The sheep characters Lily and Sebastian have compelling arcs that highlight the movie’s themes of acceptance and growth. As dark as the story can sometimes get, there’s still enough warmth and wit to make The Sheep Detectives appropriate for younger audiences.

Baltasar Kormákur delivers a compelling survival thriller with both Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton throwing themselves into their adversarial roles. Theron crafts a relatable and grounded performance bolstered with emotional sensitivity and physical prowess, while Taron Egerton proves his worth as a weirdly menacing antagonist. Immersively conceived and nerve-rackingly realized, Apex is a visually-commanding action film bursting with impressively dynamic stunt sequences.

Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel deliver two brilliant, diametrically opposed performances in Steven Soderbergh’s gentle art world caper.

It’s the least Charli XCX movie yet, with her disappearing into her role so completely that it's often breathtaking to witness, but it's also the one that marks her arrival as an essential voice.

As ugly as it is amusing, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy takes the kind of tonal swings you rarely see from a Hollywood studio.

David Lowery’s latest is a visually fascinating chamber piece with great performances from Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel.

Though mostly played straight, Faces of Death has a wicked sense of humor that’s used in a commendable manner. It’s not overplayed, but always lurking under the surface, and it provides some of that aforementioned twisted fun.

Led by immaculate performances, it’s one of the most delightfully nerve-wracking rabbit holes you’re likely to tumble down this year.

Bob Odenkirk’s presence helps create a sense of gravitas even when the film is straightforward, adding soulful dimensions to a fairly simple character in whose hands guns and explosives are as much tools of violence as they are instruments of a righteousness long lost to moral compromise.

They Will Kill You is a modern action gem with a knockout leading performance by Zazie Beetz, who more than cements her status as a star of the genre we ought to see more of.

Project Hail Mary is a rollicking sci-fi blockbuster celebrating how much we can accomplish when we work together… and how much meet-cute mileage you can get out of watching Ryan Gosling befriend a rock alien for two and a half hours.

In depicting both Pagnol and Chomet’s search for authentic truths within their stylized works, it’s a perfect marriage of subject and form.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man offers a no-frills wartime backdrop for Cillian Murphy to make a stirring return as Tommy Shelby, with Barry Keoghan standing toe-to-toe with his Irish compadre in a moving match-up. Serving up some dry humor with a few boisterous action set pieces and a thumping contemporary score to boot, director Tom Harper and writer Steven Knight don't color outside the box, which should please fans of the series.

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is a riveting, immersive experience that brings the King back to life for one last show.

Goat isn’t doing anything new story-wise, but it’s a fun and engaging underdog (or undergoat?) sports comedy that shines thanks to its wonderful production design and animation.

It’s not a home run, but it’s an enjoyably goofy and gory time.

Part guerrilla prank saga, part heartwarming friendship story, and part riff on Back to the Future, the result is an incredibly fine-tuned mishmash of styles and ideas that keeps evolving in surprising ways.

It's a melting pot of experiences from comical to romantic to thrilling to richly ruminative. Everything flows together gracefully in step through a delicate and beautiful dance that speaks to the ever-changing beast that is New York City.

Mason Reeves delivers one of the most stunning child performances in recent memory, while Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan lean into their familiar acting hallmarks but find uncomfortable new layers as a mother and father bound by their own upbringings. The result is visceral, gentle, and ultimately, shattering.

Those looking for a straight Hamlet adaptation or an action-oriented animé should look elsewhere; those looking for a fantastical, visually glorious story that reflects on the potential and pitfalls of humanity are in for a good time.

Who wants to go to a deserted island and watch Sam Raimi put Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien through hell? Everybody? Great! Send Help is for you.

The Rip may stumble at times due to an uneven script and forgettable action scenes, but its interesting premise, talented cast – lead by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck – and twist ending make for a mostly enjoyable experience.

There’s a wit and humor at play in The Bone Temple that elevates, in all the right ways, the dramatic stakes of a zombie apocalypse working on its third decade, especially in Ralph Fiennes’ record collection.

If you buy a ticket for one killer chimpanzee movie this year, Primate delivers the goofy goods. It has fun set pieces, a great-looking animatronic costumed killer chimp, and applause-worthy gore for those of us who like when our horror gets messy.

Migration is a preposterous yet grounded thriller thanks to good performances and centered on a desperate, hopeful plight. Honestly, watch the first movie: It's fun, but you actually don't have to have seen it to enjoy Migration.